AAFES POGS

What are these things?
The coins shown in this section are money, just like ordinary nickels,
dimes and quarters in America. But, unlike regular coins in America, they
are not legal tender. Printing currency is against the law so AAFES (Army
Air Force Exchange Services, the WalMart for the military) at the direction
of the Department of Defense created these as "gift certificates"
for use by servicemembers participating in Operations Enduring Freedom
and Iraqi Freedom. They are commonly referred to as "pogs."

But why paper? The military operating in these regions must dedicate
its shipments to vital hardware and supplies. Metal coins weigh a lot
more than these pogs. Both of these problems are circumvented by using
paper currency in the place of metal coins.

Where can they be used? These coins are not legal tender so they
cannot be used everywhere. They were created for use at AAFES stores serving
troops deployed in contingency operations.
Though they are only issued as change downrange, they are also accepted at AAFES stores worldwide. That
means a soldier returning to a base in Germany or America, or elsewhere,
from Iraq or Afghanistan with a pocketful of pogs won't have to lose money
because of these pogs. Though, they do make great collectors items!

How can I get my own pogs? As with anything, eBay
will usually have some for sale. Though what you find on eBay will likely
be quite expensive. Numispedia does not have any for sale or trade at
the moment, but if we ever do a notice will be posted here (please do
not mail us asking for some unless the notice is up). Your best bet, if
for some reason you're not eligible to join
the military, is to find a pen pal deployed in the OEF/OIF areas.
Check the Letters and Messages section at DOD's Show
Your Support page for ways to do this. Please realize that the men
and women over there are doing a tough job and their priority is not to
boost your collection; be polite and courteous towards their situation.
Even if you're not looking for pogs it would be a good idea to write the
servicemen overseas, they enjoy it greatly. Good luck!

How does the numbering system work? Numispedia uses a system different from that you may have seen elsewhere. The idea behind our system is to make it as intuitive as possible. The first number is that of the series. Then a letter to denote the denomination: A=5¢, B=10¢, C=25¢. From there it becomes necessarily arbitrary: the next set of numbers corresponds to the order in which they are commonly displayed. If there is a variety, we'll affix another letter to the end. Since with and without OEF/OIF overprints are the most common varieties so far, "a" is reserved for those with the overprint and "b" for those without. Sounds like a lot, but it really does make listing pogs easier than other systems.

How should I store my pogs? AAFES produced a trifold album that could hold a full series, but it seems they no longer make them. You could easily keep your pogs tucked away in envelopes, but then how would you look at them? I recommend using standard 20-pocket non-PVC pages. They fit any 3-ring binder and are available anywhere coin collecting supplies are sold. The pogs stay nicely in place so long as you don't shake the album upside down. If you want an extra level of protection you could put them in mylar 2x2 flips.

Total = 3 pogs; one for each denomination.
The first series consisted of one plain design, no picture, for each denomination.
Common Obverse Legend: Denomination in large print, "This gift certificate has a retail value of [5, 10 or 25]¢ and is redeemable only at your BX/PX." below, and the AAFES logo at bottom.
Common Reverse Legend: Denomination in center, "Gift Certificate" above, AAFES logo below.

In every series after the First the reverse is the same: denomination in center, AAFES logo above, "Gift Certificate" below. Each of the following series consist of 12 pogs per denomination, excluding varieties.

This second series begins using pictures on the obverse. They are distinguishable from other series in that they do not have a date printed on them.
Common Obverse Legend: "This gift certificate has a retail value of [5, 10 or 25]¢ and is redeemable only at your BX/PX." in small print around the margin, centered at bottom, with the denomination showing in larger print.

The fourth series introduces some vintage pictures from past conflicts. In this one the obverse legend changes to clarify the pogs' validity at any AAFES, downrange or at home. The year "2004" is printed at top of these.
Common Obverse Legend: "This gift certificate has a retail value of [5, 10 or 25]¢ and is redeemable at any AAFES facility." (italics indicate new text) in small print around the margin, centered at bottom, with the denomination showing in larger print.

The only feature other than pictures that can distinguish the fifth series from the fourth is the word "AAFES" on the picture side: it is in a slightly larger font (appears almost boldface). This is the last basic design change to date.

Continuing with the GG theme, this series brings pictures of US Presidents while in service. The other featured theme is a complete run of military sponsored NASCAR drivers. From here on out it looks like AAFES will go steady at two series per year. To distinguish each year's two series, letters are being appended to the dates.

NOTE: There were no nickels printed in Series Eight. This series continues to feature military sponsored sports, former presidents in service and includes scenes of military relief operations after Hurricane Katrina.

AAFES began selling an album for soldiers to keep their pogs in sometime around early 2004 (not sure on date). The book consisted of three folding leaves with holes much like the old Whitman coin albums. There are (I believe) 12 slots per page, allowing for a whole series to be kept in one book.